And Twins make 5! - A Mommy Blog

Those Little Seeds

2013-05-23T09:51:00.002-05:00

Look how proud the twins are as they bring home the plants they raised from tiny seeds. It seems like just yesterday I was showing them off as the little seeds I'd grown. Just look at how they've blossomed and grown in the warm sunshine and what a fine job those roots did drinking in all that was offered.

The Monkey Mat

2013-05-21T19:25:00.003-05:00

The end of the school year has been absolutely crazy busy for our large household with our schedules filled to the brim with various activities. And I'm happy to report that most of the outdoor events weren't completely foiled by what turned out to be a damp Spring. While we did lose a few plans to wet conditions, most of our events were able to carry on.
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For All You Love, Johnson & Johnson #Spon

2013-05-09T09:24:00.003-05:00

This Mother's Day the folks at Johnson & Johnson are celebrating the most powerful thing on the planet, Love. In particular, they are applauding those Mom's who are always putting the needs of others first and recognizing all the amazing ways people care for the ones they love. They are celebrating you and your comforting touch along with me and the happy smiles on my 5 children's faces. And while they may not know exactly what sacrifices you made "for all you love", they do know Moms like you and I are making them.
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NOVICA brings a market of the world's artistic talents to you

2013-05-08T08:45:00.000-05:00

We have a ton of fancy occasions coming up in the next few weeks. We'll be off to multiple graduations, parties, dance recitals, and awards ceremonies. And with that in mind, I decided I needed to spice up my rather neutral wardrobe a bit. As things tend to happen in my life, I headed off to a discount store with the intention to buy a dress or blouse and came home with a yellow purse instead. It seems my mission to find new clothing had shifted to reusing my basics with the addition of yellow accessories and that leads me to my experience shopping NOVICA.
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Pampers "Spring into Color" Sweeps & a Special Giveaway for Our Readers

2013-05-07T12:49:00.003-05:00

On April 29th, Pampers kicked off the season of Spring with a celebration of the ways babies big & small color everyones lives! Look for the special "Spring into Color" tab on Pampers Facebook page for chances to win daily prizes that enhance the colorful ways that babies brighten daily lives - including Pampers diapers and wipes.
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Chicago Area Mother's Day Idea: Miracle-Gro Premium Plants ($100 GC Giveaway)

2013-05-06T10:18:00.004-05:00

It's been a long standing tradition for me to give my mom a hanging flower basket for either her early May Birthday or for Mother's Day. Mom has the perfect spot to hang a plant near her backdoor and it's visible for her to enjoy while busy at her kitchen sink window all spring and summer long. What's not to love about a gift that serves as several month long reminder that I totally rocked the Mother's Day gift thing again this year?

The key to this all working out to my full advantage is for me to insure I've selected high quality plants. Let's face it, I'm not exactly going to hit golden child status if that thing withers and dies right in mom's view a couple weeks later.
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Our Twins: You lead and I'll follow

2013-05-03T08:28:00.001-05:00

On a rainy day, Cormac likes to play Lego games.
On a rainy day, Declan likes to play inside.

When it comes to deciding what to play on a day to day basis, one of our twins tends to take the lead while the other normally is just fine with following suit. Looking back on it, I'm not entirely sure when Cormac (coincidentally the older twin by two minutes) took the lead role on play planning. However, a recent assignment brought home from preschool highlighted their current dynamic.

In class the twins were tasked with drawing what they normally like to play on a rainy day. Cormac specifically picked Legos while Declan made a more generic choice about simply playing inside. To an outsider his decision may seem to just imply a practical nature, but to me it immediately flagged the fact that Declan doesn't normally have to decide these type pf things. In reality on a rainy or sunny day, Declan is just fine with letting his best friend (who is also his twin brother) suggest something for them both to do.

Summer Faves at The Children's Place

2013-05-02T09:22:00.000-05:00

I recently was provided with a gift card to shop The Children's Place for some summer essentials. On our list of needs were polos for a few dressier upcoming occasions, basic shorts for play, fun t-shirts for assorted occasions, and flip flops for days by the pool.
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GetUncommon for Mother's Day: Custom iPhone and &iPad Cases with kid's artwork (Giveaway)

2013-05-01T10:43:00.001-05:00

Why not take the kid's gifts of artwork to their mom and grandma to a whole new level this Mother's Day by transforming them into something used daily like a phone case?
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Luv Chicken! Fun and functional booster cushions for kids

2013-04-24T08:13:00.000-05:00

At age 4 (almost 5) our twins are in that stage where they don't really need a traditional buckle booster seat nor are they willing to sit in anything that remotely looks like it's made for babies. However, when sitting in a regular chair at the table they would find themselves wishing they were up a bit higher (in particular our shorter of the two twins).

Up until recently, I would often find the littler guy kneeling on chairs to raise himself up to eye level with everyone else. However, the arrival of a Luv Chicken Booster Cushion provided for review has turned out to be exactly what Cormac needed to be on the same level with everyone else.
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For the Mommy Photographer: Camera Coats

2013-04-23T09:57:00.000-05:00

I'm one of those moms who almost never leaves home without my camera. In fact, I'm the mom that other moms assume will take so many photos of a particular event, that they need not fret forgetting their own cameras. And with that mind, I was beyond excited to receive the camera coat recently for review.

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Pampers Baby Dry Sweet Sleep Time (Giveaway)

2013-04-22T09:49:00.001-05:00

I'm certain my many mommy readers know just how sweet it is when they are able to get an uninterrupted night of rest. As a mommy of 5, I owe much thanks for my years of evening rest to great products such as items like those recently provided for this post by Pampers.

You can enjoy some "Sweet Sleep Time” On Pampers too:

Pampers is offering a special coupon where parents, like yourself, can receive an immediate, one-time $1.50 off printable coupon for your next purchase of Pampers Baby Dry diapers. Simply visit this link at Coupons.com for that coupon.

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Moms Rule according to Dollar General and Procter & Gamble (Giveaway)

2013-04-22T08:59:00.000-05:00

In celebration of Mother’s Day, Procter & Gamble® has teamed up with Dollar General to honor moms, Every Day Heroes who sacrifice for their families and still find time to make a difference in their communities. Using the theme “Moms Rule,” the Dollar General “Every Day Heroes®” campaign will also honor moms by offering great savings on products for the heroes closest to our hearts and I received some of those products for review.

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Magnolia Premium Tropical Ice Cream

2013-04-18T09:12:00.003-05:00

Current weather in the Midwest is certain to drive even the most diehard Chicagoland fan to have dreams of boarding a flight for some tropical location. Spring has been a mixed bag of cold, snow, rain, with a slight tease of warm. Unfortunately the flash flooding might further complicate ones ability to act upon those tropical cravings with the exception of a trip to their freezer.
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Celebrating Moms with Jared The Galleria of Jewelry #MomMoments (Giveaway & Sweepstakes Info)

2013-04-16T10:37:00.000-05:00

Whether you are a mom-to-be, a new mom of 1, a grandma, or a mom of 5 including older kids like myself; chances are you deserve to be celebrated daily for all you've done and will continue to keep on doing. My journey as a mom has brought me some of the happiest moments of my life along with some of the most anguishing. And while my older kids may not always stop to say thanks as I hand them their freshly washed track uniform or bagged lunch complete with their favorite kind of chips, I do know that deep down they are grateful for all I do because that's what I taught them.
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Spring Clean Your Healthy Essentials with Johnson & Johnson (Giveaway) #sponsored

2013-04-12T08:51:00.000-05:00

When you think of spring cleaning, you likely picture yourself washing windows and wiping down the inside of the kitchen cabinets. However, April is also the perfect time for busy families like mine to do some spring cleaning of their medicine cabinets. Tasks should include checking expiration dates on essentials like sunblock and medications along with refilling the basic necessities you know they’ll need this season like Band-aids, Neosporin, and Visine.
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Secure Tax Time Documents with Master Lock (Sweeps Info)

2013-04-11T12:34:00.002-05:00

It's crunch time in terms of getting those taxes done and regardless of how you file, it's important to keep all those tax time documents stored securely. Master Lock has a few options that might help including the item below I was provided for review.

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Outnumbered

2013-04-10T08:01:00.000-05:00

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Tax Time Tips & the Fellowes 63Cb Shredder

2013-04-09T08:03:00.000-05:00

As you all know, tax season is nearing the finale and unfortunately identity theft related to this yearly requirement is on the rise. In fact I was recently made aware that the Identity Theft Resource Center (IRTC) calculated that IRS-related identity theft has increased by almost 77 percent during the past two tax seasons. Additionally, the FTC reported a 3% increase of ID theft complaints in the past year (43% of which were tax or wage related frauds).

“A lot of information changes hands during tax season, which is why we believe we see so many IRS-related identity theft cases this time of year,” said Eva Valasquez, President and CEO of the ITRC. “And although more and more people are now e-filing, we still need to be cautious of how we are protecting information offline.”

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Monthly Subscription Box: Sock Panda

2013-04-03T13:09:00.001-05:00

2013 may very well be remembered as the year of Monthly Subscription Boxes. Whether you are gifting them to friends or signing up for several for yourself, they remain huge right now. Subscription boxes can be found in a wide variety of different categories including our latest discovery, a subscription that delivers socks.
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What's in your bag of Mommy Tricks? Warm Tradition Hot Water Bottles

2013-04-03T12:21:00.000-05:00

I've found that there is little worse than watching my kids demonstrate clear signs of discomfort from something like an injury, sore tummy, or an earache. The moment one of the kids utter those dreaded words, "Mommy my _______ hurts", I can be spotted scrambling about the house gathering up my doctor mommy remedies like ice, a book to read on the potty, or our hot water bottle.
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Easter 2013

2013-04-02T07:44:00.000-05:00

Chicago Readers: Nominate a Mom-to-be for a Baby Shower!

2013-03-28T08:01:00.002-05:00

In honor of Mother’s Day, The Honest Company is treating a deserving mom-to-be in the Windy City to a Honestly Ultimate Baby Shower hosted by co-founder and actress Jessica Alba this May!

Chicagoans can submit their deserving moms-to-be (now through March 31st) for the chance to win a baby shower she will never forget!

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Advice from a Mom of a Picky Eater #TysonPickyEaters ($1000 Sweepstakes)

2013-03-27T16:23:00.000-05:00

My only daughter, Cordelia (now age 12), was one of pickiest of eaters when she was younger. And while Cordelia still has a rather lengthy list of foods you won't find on her plate, she's come a long long way. Her list of favorite meals still include some of her favorite old standbys like Tyson chicken nuggets, pizza, and macaroni & cheese; but you will also find some surprises on her food faves list like Salmon and even a green leafy salad.
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Honey Bunches of Oats #HoneyBunchesofSmiles (Giveaway)

2013-03-27T13:27:00.001-05:00

What if I told you that you could enter a Honey Bunches of Oats sweepstakes to win a trip simply by sending a smile? Makes you want to smile a whole bunch right? Well it's true, but you need to drop your cereal spoon and get on this business of smiling right away because the contest ends 11:59 pm ET on April 1, 2013.

Entry requires the use of my two favorite social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram. I'll explain how to enter in my post below, and to add to those smiles I have a giveaway for 3 assorted boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats cereal you can also enter to win.
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